Federal Bureau of Investigation

In 1865, the Secret Service was originally formed by the department of the Treasury to investigate counterfeiting, not to protect the president as it does today.

The Department of Justice was created in 1870 to enforce federal law and coordinate judicial policy but it lacked an investigative force of its own.

In 1892, Roosevelt and Bonaparte met at a reform meeting in Baltimore.

On September 14, 1901, President McKinley was assassinated, leading to Teddy Roosevelt taking office.

In 1905, the Department of Justice created a Bureau of Criminal Identification to provide a centralized reference collection of fingerprint cards.

In 1906, President Roosevelt appointed Charles Bonaparte as his second Attorney General. Bonaparte, a noted civic reformer and grandnephew of the French emperor, was trusted by Roosevelt and appointed to various posts during his presidency.

President Theodore Roosevelt asked Congress to create a federal detective force in 1907.

The FBI, originally known as the Bureau of Investigation, was established in 1908. It is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Justice.

The Bureau of Investigation, later known as the FBI, was created in July 1908. In its early days, the Bureau started gathering information and intelligence on the Ku Klux Klan, despite having few federal laws to combat the group.

In 1908, a memo signed by Charles J. Bonaparte, Attorney General, established a 'regular force of special agents' to investigate specific cases for the Department of Justice. This marked the beginning of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which has since become a renowned law enforcement agency worldwide.

In 1913, A. Bruce Bielaski succeeded Stanley Finch as the Chief of the Bureau of Investigation, marking a change in leadership within the organization.

On December 2, 1919, the FBI issued its first wanted poster for William N. Bishop, a soldier who escaped from Camp A. A. Humphreys. This marked the beginning of a new era in fugitive-catching efforts by the FBI and its partners.

With the help of the FBI's first wanted poster, William N. Bishop was captured less than five months after his escape on April 6, 1920. This successful capture demonstrated the effectiveness of the new fugitive-catching methods.

On August 22, 1921, J. Edgar Hoover assumed the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), marking the beginning of his long tenure in the role.

On May 1, 1922, Emilio Kosterlitzky was appointed as a Bureau special agent with a focus on border cases and liaison with Mexican informants and officials. He demonstrated exceptional diplomacy and skill in his work.

After his perceived success in handling the Red Scare, Hoover was appointed as acting director of the Bureau of Investigation on May 10, 1924. He initiated significant restructuring and expansion efforts, transforming the Bureau into a more effective crime-fighting entity.

J. Edgar Hoover's term as Director of the FBI came to an end on June 14, 1924, concluding his significant impact on the organization during his tenure.

In October 1925, Edwin C. Shanahan became the first FBI Agent to be killed while on duty.

Due to a serious heart condition, Emilio Kosterlitzky resigned from the FBI on September 4, 1926. Known for his contributions in border cases and liaison work, his resignation marked the end of his service with the Bureau.

In March 1929, Al Capone was arrested by Bureau Agents.

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program was initiated by the FBI in 1930 to collect, analyze, and publish crime statistics across the United States. It serves as a valuable resource for law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and the public.

In November 1932, the FBI Laboratory was established.

In June 1933, the Bureau of Investigation was renamed as the Division of Investigation. The Kansas City Massacre also took place during this time.

In July 1934, John Dillinger was killed by Federal Agents in Chicago.

In July 1935, the Division of Investigation was reorganized and became the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

In August 1940, the Disaster Squad was established by the FBI after being tasked with identifying its personnel involved in an airplane crash in Virginia.

In June 1942, four German saboteurs arrived in Long Island from a U-Boat, while four others landed in Florida. The FBI successfully apprehended all eight individuals.

In November 1944, Nazi spies William C. Colepaugh and Erich Gimpel arrived in Maine from a German submarine and were captured by the FBI.

In 1947, the executive branch established the Federal Employee-Loyalty Security Program, giving the FBI responsibility for conducting investigations of presidential appointees and individuals in high-level positions. This program enhanced the bureau's influence in determining governmental appointments.

On April 10, 1950, J. Edgar Hoover initiated the FBI's 'sex deviates' program by forwarding a list of alleged federal employees arrested for 'sexual irregularities' in Washington, D.C. since 1947 to various government branches.

On June 20, 1951, J. Edgar Hoover expanded the 'sex deviates' program by establishing a uniform policy for handling reports of alleged sex deviates among present and past U.S. government employees.

On May 27, 1953, Executive Order 10450 was implemented, making all federal employment of homosexuals illegal and further expanding the FBI's 'sex deviates' program.

On July 8, 1953, the FBI provided information from the 'sex deviates' program to the U.S. Civil Service Commission, continuing its efforts to purge alleged homosexuals from federal employment.

In response to organized crime, the FBI established the Top Hoodlum Program on August 25, 1953. This initiative aimed to gather intelligence on mobsters across the country.

COINTELPRO was initiated by the FBI to disrupt and discredit the Communist Party in the United States.

President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed on November 22, 1963. The FBI took over the investigation following a directive from President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Gary Thomas Rowe, an FBI informant and Ku Klux Klan member, participated in the murder of civil rights activist Viola Liuzzo. The FBI later spread defamatory rumors about the victim.

The FBI shares concurrent jurisdiction with the Drug Enforcement Administration in enforcing the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

FBI agent Roy Moore was reassigned to Chicago in 1971 after spearheading the Bureau's work to loosen the Klan's stranglehold in Mississippi and restore law and order.

On March 9, 1971, a group known as the Citizen Commission to Investigate the F.B.I. burglarized a small F.B.I. office in Media, Pennsylvania, and obtained documents revealing extensive surveillance and wiretapping operations by the FBI on various groups. This incident exposed the F.B.I.'s controversial COINTELPRO programs.

Clarence M. Kelley's term as Director of the FBI concluded on May 2, 1972, marking the end of his leadership within the organization.

On July 9, 1973, William H. Webster assumed the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), taking over the leadership role.

FBI agent Roy Moore retired in December 1974, moving back to Mississippi where he lived out his days after making a critical difference in turning the tide against the Klan in the 1960s.

The fallout from the misuse of COINTELPRO led to Congress passing laws requiring Senate confirmation of future FBI directors and limiting their tenure to 10 years.

William H. Webster's term as Director of the FBI ended on February 15, 1978, concluding his impactful tenure within the organization.

On February 23, 1978, William S. Sessions was appointed as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), succeeding William H. Webster.

In 1980, the NCJ Number 78752 was published, providing a review of the history and major investigative themes of the FBI, along with discussions on the agency's new directions.

In 1982, the FBI established the Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) as an elite unit to address potential issues at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, focusing on counter-terrorism and major crimes. HRT is a specialized SWAT team dedicated to handling high-risk scenarios.

In 1983, the Hostage Rescue Team of the FBI became operational.

In 1984, the FBI established the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC) and the Computer Analysis and Response Team (CART) to assist field offices in retrieving computer evidence.

William S. Sessions' term as Director of the FBI came to an end on May 25, 1987, marking the conclusion of his leadership within the organization.

On November 2, 1987, Louis J. Freeh assumed the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), taking over the leadership role.

The 1991 movie Point Break depicts an undercover FBI agent who infiltrated a gang of bank robbers.

In May 1992, FBI SWAT and HRT personnel in Los Angeles County, California assisted local officials in maintaining peace during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. HRT operators conducted vehicle-mounted patrols for 10 days before returning to Virginia.

Louis J. Freeh's term as Director of the FBI concluded on July 19, 1993, marking the end of his impactful tenure within the organization.

On September 1, 1993, Robert S. Mueller III assumed the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), succeeding Louis J. Freeh.

In April 1994, the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) was established to enhance the FBI's capabilities in handling hostage situations and barricades.

The FBI played a crucial role in the investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing that occurred on April 19, 1995, resulting in the arrest and conviction of Timothy McVeigh. This tragic event highlighted the FBI's involvement in combating domestic terrorism.

During the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, the FBI faced criticism for its handling of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing investigation. The FBI settled a dispute with Richard Jewell, a security guard wrongly suspected in the bombing, and some media organizations over the leaking of his name during the investigation.

In May 1997, the FBI officially adopted the Glock pistol in .40 S&W caliber for general agent use, first issuing it to New Agent Class 98-1 in October 1997.

In May 1998, Eric Robert Rudolph was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list for his involvement in the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta and the bombing of a Birmingham abortion clinic.

In August 1998, bombs were detonated near the United States Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, resulting in the death of 224 people, including 12 Americans and 38 Foreign Service Nationals. The FBI provided assistance in the search, rescue, and investigation efforts.

In June 1999, Osama Bin Laden was added to the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list due to his suspected involvement in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

In September 1999, the FBI announced the groundbreaking for its new Laboratory facility in Quantico, Virginia.

In 2000, the FBI initiated the Trilogy project to upgrade its outdated information technology infrastructure. The project aimed to modernize computers and networking equipment, but faced challenges with developing new investigation software, leading to its abandonment in 2005.

Robert S. Mueller III's term as Director of the FBI came to an end on June 25, 2001, marking the conclusion of his leadership within the organization.

On September 4, 2001, James B. Comey assumed the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), taking over the leadership role.

In October 2002, two snipers killed 10 people, including an FBI employee, and terrorized the Washington, D.C. area for three weeks until being captured by the FBI and its partners.

In September 2003, the multi-agency Terrorist Screening Center, administered by the FBI, was established to enhance counterterrorism efforts.

In January 2005, the FBI officially abandoned the Virtual Case File (VCF) project after spending over $100 million on it. The project, aimed at developing new investigation software, faced management issues and was deemed unsuccessful.

In March 2005, the FBI announced the start of the Sentinel software project as a replacement for the failed Virtual Case File project. The new software project was expected to be completed by 2009.

In September 2005, the FBI established a National Security Branch to consolidate the resources and capabilities of its counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and intelligence units.

In October 2005, former members of the 9/11 Commission publicly criticized the FBI for resisting meaningful changes despite recommendations. They highlighted the agency's reluctance to evolve.

FBI agent Roy Moore passed away in 2008, leaving a legacy of being one of the great leaders of his time in fighting against the Klan and restoring law and order in Mississippi.

The FBI commemorated its 100th anniversary in July 2008.

As of December 31, 2009, the FBI employed a total of 33,852 individuals, including 13,412 special agents and 20,420 support professionals. These professionals encompass various roles such as intelligence analysts, language specialists, and information technology specialists.

In June 2010, the FBI apprehended 10 agents of the Russian Intelligence Service who had posed as ordinary Americans to aid Russian intelligence activities.

The FBI launched the Kids’ Page Links on this date, providing educational resources and safety tips for children in kindergarten through 12th grade.

In September 2012, the U.S. Special Mission in Benghazi, Libya was attacked, leading to the tragic deaths of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens. The FBI initiated an investigation and utilized social media to gather information from individuals in the area.

James B. Comey's term as Director of the FBI concluded on May 9, 2013, marking the end of his impactful tenure within the organization.

The 2015 TV series Quantico, titled after the location of the Bureau's training facility, deals with probationary and special agents, some of whom may not be fully reliable or trustworthy.

In June 2016, the FBI awarded Glock a contract for new handguns chambered in 9 mm Parabellum, including the full-size Glock 17M and compact Glock 19M, meeting government standards specified by a 2015 request for proposal.

On August 2, 2017, Christopher Wray assumed the position of Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), taking over the leadership role.

The FBI acknowledged failing to act on a tip about the Stoneman Douglas High School shooter prior to the tragedy, potentially missing an opportunity to prevent it.

FBI: Most Wanted is the FBI's first spin-off that follows the FBI's Fugitive Task Force in chasing down the US's most wanted criminals.

An FBI informant who participated in the January 6, 2021 attack testified in support of the Proud Boys, raising questions about FBI's intelligence failures and response to white supremacist violence.

The FBI, or Federal Bureau of Investigation, was established on March 11, 2024.

The FBI stated that Alex Murdaugh lied about stolen money and accomplices. The case involves criminal activities and deception.